Sea+Ice

= Melting of Sea Ice =

 by - Nisa Haider
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[|Sea Ice 2003 vs. Sea Ice 2007] [|(New York Times)] ======

=Did You Know? = ==== The Arctic sea ice melted faster in June 2010 then in any previous June recorded (data goes back 30 years)!!! [|(Rate of Arctic Sea Ice Melt Heats Up)]====

=What is Sea Ice? = ====Sea Ice is frozen ocean water that occurs in the Arctic. Sea ice freezes in the winter months and melts in the spring and summer. [|Fifteen percent of world's oceans is covered by sea ice during part of the year.] But studies have shown that each year the amount of sea ice which melts is increasing. ====

=Difference Between Sea Ice and Land Ice? = ====Sea ice and [|land ice]are often confused. In contrast to sea ice, land ice forms from icebergs, ice sheets, ice shelves, and glaciers which is all fresh water or snow. Whereas sea ice forms form salty ocean water. ====

=What is Causing Sea Ice to Melt? = ==== Arctic sea ice reflect sunlight keeping the region cool and sustaining the global climate. But data shows an extreme decline in the amount of sea ice especially in the summer. The graph below (Arctic Sea Ice Volume) shows the fluctuation in the amount of sea ice during the seasons. It also displays the general trend that sea ice is greatly decreasing. Instruments from land and satellites also show that the Arctic is heating faster then the rest of the globe. ==== ====[|Climate change] is a major component of the melting of sea ice along with the [|increase in Arctic temperatures]. But studies also show that the decrease in greenhouse gases resulted in an increase in the amount of sea ice and proved the human activity influences the climate and affect the sea ice. Many scientist agree the vanishing of sea ice is caused by superimposed forces such as heat-trapping cloud and water vapor. Warm winds from Siberia form a high-pressure system over the ocean also greatly which aids to the melting of sea ice. ====

 [|Arctic Sea Ice Volume - Graph]

=What will Happen if the Melting of Sea Ice Continues to Increase? =

====Though the melting of sea ice will help shipping and fishing by opening the [|Northwest Passage], it is detr imental to the native animals. The destruction of ice causes poor living conditions for marine animals and will hinder their ability to reproduce. The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment in 2004, //Impacts of a Warming Arctic//, said that ruining the amount of sea ice is destroying habitats for ice dependent animals including polar bear and seals. The melting of sea ice could potentially cause for the extinction of species vital to the Arctic. When the ice melts animals are unable to hunt and often are stranded on ice or fall off into freezing waters. ==== ====The indigenous people of the Arctic, Yup'ik and Inuit population are dependent of the sea ice for hunting. When the ice melts rapidly in the spring and summer the hunting season is shortened. The tribe elders say that the past decade as been one of great change and that they once used natural indicators for weather prediction such as winds, currents, and clouds. But these indicators no longer effective. ====

Additional Resources -
[|Sea Ice in Retreat NY Times (Interactive)] [|National Snow and Ice Data Center - All About Sea Ice] [|Arctic Melt Unnerves the Experts (New York Times)] [|Yearly Changes in Sea Ice Around North Pole (Animation)]